


Dear Diary

by ThePlaceThatILeft (Rei_Kingdom)



Series: Pre-Mature Ramblings: Beginnings of a Small (Bright) Spark [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: (read: beginnings of a weeabo), 2008, 2008 Sichuan China Earthquake, China, Diary/Journal, Gen, Japanese Culture, POV First Person, Sichuan, This Is STUPID, actual event tho, because this takes place in, check with, correct statistics, earthquake, i think i was just getting into, most of them are only mentioned anyway, none of the characters really matter, when i wrote those names, which is weird, wikipedia - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-24
Updated: 2016-03-24
Packaged: 2018-05-28 18:48:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6341053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rei_Kingdom/pseuds/ThePlaceThatILeft
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The diary of one girl during the most devastating earthquake in Sichuan, China, the year was 2008.</p><p>/Originally written at age 12 for a Humanities project.<br/>The second in the series of 'things that should have never left that usb'.<br/>See series notes for why this even exists./</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ayame's Diary

**Author's Note:**

> Reading this series chronologically?  
> Then welcome, to the next installment of things I should have deleted a long time ago!
> 
> Keep in mind that I've improved (I hope) and don't kill me too much.
> 
> Enjoy the accurate statistics provided my Wikipedia.  
> Or not.

Sunday, 11th May 2008, 4:22pm. Hajime House. Yuri’s Room.

Dear Diary,

Today, the weirdest thing happened. Me, Haruna and Chihiro were at Yuri’s house playing cards (I already lost) in her room when suddenly, the ground shook. Literally. It was a tremor. I heard on the news that there were going to be a few of those during the week. Yuri’s mum came in and asked us if we were ok. We said we were fine, but she insisted we go home anyway. So Yuri’s mum called our parents to pick us up. So when my mum came, I said “See you guys tomorrow!”

 

4:47pm. My Room.

As I was saying, Chihiro left first. Followed by me. Haruna lived close by so she walked home. I hope she wasn’t still out walking if another tremor came. These things were getting scary. Books and stuff kept falling off my shelves and Mom keeps checking on me. I asked her if there was going to be an earthquake happening. She said they were just tremors and nothing serious would happen. So there’s nothing to worry about.

 

1:30am –ish.

I’m so scared. This is the second tremor tonight and I can’t sleep. I don’t know what time it is. According to my not- so- accurate guessing skills it’s around 1:30 in the morning. I’m scared. Yuri texted me saying she couldn’t sleep too. I really hope this is nothing serious.

 

* * *

 

 

Monday, 12th May 2008, 9:13am. My Room.

Dear Diary,

I’m still tired from last night. My eyes keep closing and my little brother Kaoru says I look like a ghost. They cancelled school today which is good, because today we had a Math test and I haven’t studied for it. But right now, I need to catch up on my sleep. So I ate breakfast and am in bed, writing. Yawn...

 

2:37pm. My Room.

Mom woke me up about 30mins ago pale and panicked. She was rushing around the house screaming at me and Kaoru to pack all our family mementoes or important stuff. While I was asleep, all my friends had texted me and asked where I was going, but I don’t know. I don’t even know what’s going on. Mom would yell at me if she saw me writing at a time like this.

 

3:48pm. Evacuation Centre.

I don’t exactly know where we are because I fell asleep in the car. Mom filled me in. Apparently, the ‘harmless’ tremors signalled an earthquake. “Not a very strong one, but enough to make a few buildings fall.” She said we won’t be staying overnight, since it shouldn’t last long.

I even found out that Yuri, Haruna and Chihiro were here too. But the Evacuation centre was pretty boring since the only thing there was a couple of small tables and chairs scattered around the room, plus a T.V. that only played the news. We ended up showing off our ‘important stuff’ with each other.

 

4:52pm.

I have no idea why I’m writing while there’s an earthquake going on. Through the building’s thick walls you could feel the vibrations through your whole body. People are frozen in place, or running around. Kids are crying and adults screaming. Relief volunteers are calming people down and shouting instructions. OMG. It’s collapsing. The building is collapsing. There’s ringing in my ears and I hear Mom shouting, “Ayame, get here right now! WHY ARE YOU WRITTING RIGHT NOW?!?! WE HAVE TO GO! NOW, AYAME!”

There’s rumbling noises and screaming. The ground shakes more and more. I’m on the floor writing now. I don’t think I can read my own writing.

 

* * *

 

 

Wednesday, 14th May 2008, 12:08pm.Temporary Housing. My temporary Room.

Dear temporary Diary,

It’s the 3rd day since the earthquake. According to the news, there were 69,000 casualties, 5.36 million buildings collapsed, 21 million were damaged, 15 million people fled from their homes and 5 million were left homeless. Me, Mom and Kaoru survived. As well as Haruna and Yuri’s families. Chihiro was part of the 69,000 that died. The Evacuation Centre had to be evacuated, because it was faulty. It collapsed. Mom got real angry that I was writing when I should have been running so she confiscated my real diary. I managed to find the pages she tore out. They were of the day of the earthquake and the day before.

I remember when Dad died a year ago. The last thing I got from him was a letter he wrote from Australia, where he was working. With it he sent us an earthquake survival guide. I kept it in my Diary but now I don’t have it. I attend Chihiro’s funeral on Saturday, when they hold ceremony for all the people who died that day.

I’ve never felt so lucky to be alive in my life.


	2. Father's last letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exactly as the chapter title implies.

 

14th of February 2007.

Dear Ayame,

How is life back in China? How is your mother and Kaoru? I’m doing well in Australia. I don’t have much time to write these letters, because I will get in trouble with my Boss.

 

I’m so sorry I can’t write more, but I promise to visit you for your birthday in April. I’m glad to hear from you so often, and your English is much better too. Your mother told me you started keeping a diary to practice your English. Did you make new friends at your new high school? I hope so.

 

I heard that the place to where you have moved is very prone to earthquakes, so I included an Australian ‘Earthquake Survival Checklist’. And remember that no matter what, I will always love you.

 

I wish I was there with you,

          Father xoxoxo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> absolutely unnecessary information:  
> 1\. this letter was actually written in a different font (Lucida Handwriting), than the diary entries (Lucida Calligraphy)  
> 2\. when I handed this in, the last page had been folded multiple times and scrunched up a bit  
> 3\. this actually got lots of marks

**Author's Note:**

> and the cringe continues


End file.
